By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Dec. 17, GNA – Four aspirants contesting the Assembly Member slot for Wedokum Electoral Area in the Shai-Osudoku District are in a battle of ideas to seek votes.
With well-crafted messages on education, health and sanitation, security and economic empowerment ahead of the 2023 District Level Elections (DLE), that come off December 19, the aspirants are engaged in spirited campaigns without rancour, some electorate told the Ghana News Agency.
Wedokum Electoral Area is the largest electoral area in the District with 22 communities and 20 polling stations and with over 8, 000 estimated voters,
Some electorate, who described the elections in the area as one that would be the most keenly contested DLE, told the GNA that three of the four male Aspirants had knowledge and experience in Assembly work and that their contributions would be a deciding factor.
Mr Jacob Quaye is the incumbent Assembly Member for Wedokum Electoral Area and seeking a re-election, Mr Kwabena Nartey is a Unit Committee Member responsible for Wedokum and Kpankpo communities and Mr William Osabutey, also a Unit Committee Member responsible for Bletum, Apetetsi, and Marteytse communities and Mr Alhassan Iddrisu, a former Unit Committee Aspirant.
Mr Kwabena Nartey, who told the GNA that in the last four years, he had provided textbooks, mathematical sets and other teaching and learning materials for BECE candidates yearly, said, he would engage the youth in apprenticeship programmes when elected.
“I am giving training to women in soap making, sanitiser and batik making. The grounds are good for me and I have done better than my Assembly Member. I have a 12-point strategic plan which is quarterly and yearly engagements, forming community groups and education conferences amongst others,” he said.
Mr Jacob Quaye, in his bid for re-election, said: “I am the second candidate on the ballot and that signifies my second coming. Through my work, broken bridges, and street lights have been fixed, sometimes with my money. Some communities, too have had potable water.”
He said he had made a proposal to the Assembly for the establishment of a new basic school at Flat Line which would serve communities like Rama Town, Metro Mass and Chamba to take off the overcrowding and burden on Dodowa New Town D/A, the only basic school in the electoral area.
Mr William Osabutey told the Ghana News Agency that most young people had dropped out of school, especially the males for “okada” business and that he was collaborating with some organisations and individuals in the community to create an education support scheme for basic school children.
“On sanitation, I have done a lot of communal work to keep our environment clean. As an Assembly Member, I will promote it more because there will be budgetary allocation for it at the Assembly. I will also constitute watchdog committees to work with the police to ensure security,” he said.
Miss Beatrice Ayerki Tettefio, a petty trader, lamented the lack of interest from women within the electoral area, adding that the money involved in the campaign was huge and that most women would want to keep such monies for their families.
The Wedokum Electoral Area have 13 candidates contesting as Unit Committee Members.
Six out of the contestants are females. Five candidates with the highest votes would be declared duly elected.
GNA